1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a counter-balanced top wheel assembly for laundering a vehicle. More specifically, the present invention relates to a counter-balanced top wheel assembly for a vehicle wash system that is compact and provides significant space savings.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Vehicle treatment locations and laundering systems using top wheel assemblies such as, rotating brushes for cleaning and/or polishing the exterior surfaces of automotive vehicles are well known and in widespread commercial use throughout the United States. A typical top wheel assembly includes a single arm having a brush support segment and a counterweight support segment extending from opposite sides of a frame. The frame serves as the fulcrum point for the brush support segment and the counterweight support segment. The brush is carried at one end of the brush support segment and a counterweight of appropriate weight is carried at the opposite end. The counterweight, fulcrum points and relative segment lengths on either side of the fulcrum points may be chosen to produce an essentially neutral pivotal structure requiring little power to move it through its angular range of motion. The structure resembles a teeter-totter of opposite pivot segment lengths, which maintain a constant 180° angular relation between them.
A problem associated with an arrangement of this type arises out of the fact that space must be allocated on both sides of the frame which support the pivot segments; i.e. the fulcrums of the segments are centered at the frame and the segments extend in both directions therefrom. This problem becomes particularly acute in tunnel or conveyor type vehicle treatment locations where longitudinal space along the conveyor is at a premium because, for example, of the desire to add accessories to the laundering systems; e.g., tire scrubbers, underbody sprays, wax sprays, and blower arches for drying the vehicle.
It therefore would be desirable to provide a top wheel assembly that overcomes the disadvantages present with current assemblies.